Fertility watchdog endorses extending the 14-day deadline for embryo research

The 14-day limit for human embryo research should be extended to 28 days, the fertility regulator has recommended in a move that could pave the way for breakthroughs in understanding the causes of miscarriage and heart defects.

- Hannah Devlin

If adopted in law, this would permit scientists to cultivate embryos to the equivalent of 28 days of development, allowing them to study a crucial "black box" period of development for the first time. They say this could help uncover the origins, and develop screening tools, for recurrent miscarriage and severe conditions such as spina bifida.

Peter Thompson, the HFEA's chief executive, said: "The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has recommended that the law is changed to extend the time limit on embryo research." Speaking at the Progress Educational Trust annual conference in London, Thompson outlined how significant scientific advances since the law was introduced in 1990 mean that it is increasingly possible for researchers to develop and sustain embryos beyond 14 days. In recent years, he said, scientific advances "have begun to push against the boundaries of the Act".